The biggest problem is the gap between 17 to the early 20's. The early 20's is when you see if players are really good enough at top level but the FA has nothing to support this age period as they need to be playing mens football (It's also why we see so few Prem clubs developing managers). This is why we see so many loanees and also hard to keep hold of players during this period as they aren't part of the club system when getting the experience. This is really the first year that Chelsea have talent of a high enough quality to go to Prem clubs. English youth also don't do themselves any favours by refusing to go to European leagues.
Chelsea have just been trying to find a way around this problem, people can laugh all they like but thy are actively working on solving the problem and if they don't make Chelsea's first team they have a very high turnover of youth becoming professional players. City also have this problem but seem to going a different route by using Girona as their stepping stone club to keep them within their structure playing against top quality sides.
Great post, it is a massive issue for clubs. I look at someone like Rashford who was just chucked in by Van Gaal when there were NO other options for United. Would he have been given then same chance if Ibra or Lukaku were at the club at that time? Who knows.
I use to be a huge fan of Chelsea's policy with youth players, they were like a factory that bought up the brightest talent and loaned them out to develop and sold them at a relatively nice profit, good stuff from a financial prospective - worked quite well with FM too lol. The problem is that the board just doesn't know how to retain the best of those youth when they're about to reach that peak age and they're home-grown. Chalobah leaving is a bit of a shock, Ruben will probably be next when he returns next season. Bertrand Traore was also sold this season, he has bags of potential. Is Charly Musonda still at the club?
Musonda is still at the club - was on the bench vs Burnley and probably would have got a decent chunk of playing time had Cahill not decided to get himself sent off.
Started thinking about our game from yesterday when I saw that there is a London derby, later. Chelsea are crazy for not keeping Loftus-Chhek. The guy was one of the better players on the pitch. What the hell were they thinking? They want to challenge on all fronts and this guy would have certainly been able to help.
Solanke wasn't amazing when he came on, but he looked lively enough.
No wonder England don't cut it when it's time for EC and WC.
RLC, I think, needed to go on loan. He's been in and around the first team for a while but, for whatever reason, wasn't being given the chance. I still think he's got what it takes to be a top player for Chelsea - quick, strong, good passer - but needs to be playing regular football to hone his very obviously talent.
If we sell him then I'm just gonna kick off.
